I am new here in The Shed

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ole

ole

Member
Mar 4, 2015
53
Wisconsin
New member and have a question for you vets. I am going to retire next February and my bride of 35 years has given me permission to put a wood furnace in the basement. We have a walk out basement so getting the stove and wood in should be no problem. In anticipation of getting this wood furnace, I have started making wood. We burned wood for 15 years in our first home so I know getting the wood made and dry ahead of time is good. I do own a 40 acre Oak woodlot here in Wisconsin about 1/4 mile from our home. So this is the pile I have CSS so far:

IMG_7717.jpg


IMG_7718.jpg


IMG_7719.jpg


80% dead red and white oak, 10% elm, and 10% green cherry that I stacked on the outside row.
The pile measures 18.5 feet long, 9.5 feet wide, and 4.5 feet deep.
How many cords do I have is my burning question. I am guessing 4 to 5? Am I close?

Thanks. This is a great forum and I have learned so much in my time here. I guess one could say I am lucky I have a good supply of wood nearby. I read these heart wrenching stories here of good folks just trying to keep their family warm by scrounging and burning green wood. It makes me sad. It is dangerous.
 
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That's roughly 6 cords. That's enough for two or even three years for me.
 
18.5 x 9.5 x 4.5 = 790 cubic feet.
Divided by 128 = 6.18 cords.

I wish I had that shop!
 
So, I was off a little bit on my beer induced mis-calculations. Thanks.

I have never used a moisture meter even in the 15 years I burned years ago. I just went by sound. So I bought a $13 meter and it tells me the split dead oak was 18-25% moisture. The standing dead elm was 12% !!!!!
And the two cherrys I cut down (live from from a fence row) measured "OL" so I take it "OL" in laymens terms means really really wet.
 
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OL - Over load.;lol;lol;lol. Typically over 40% at that point.

I assume that you are aware that drying wood indoors will extend the time it takes wet wood to dry? No issues if it is already dry (or real close), or if you get a few years ahead.

And welcome to the forum.
 
Welcome new guy. I'll cut you a break because you are new, but (a) try to stack more neatly. That is quite a mess you have there. Also (b) stop bragging about the 40 acres of 'oak.' There was apparently at least one cherry tree on that 40 acres.
 
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39.9999999999999999999999 acres of Oak?
 
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As to a wood furnace indoor) Kuma, then Caddy's. These are hot air units not boilers. There used to be one something on the order of the Caddy's built here in WIsconsin. I have lost the web sight due to cpu deaths over the past few months. Most of the others are coal units that wood can be burned in and run through wood like a fire engine to a fire. ( USS Steel units to name one brand) Kuma's will meet the new particulate rules announced by the Brown Shirts of the EPA.
 
Wood Duck said:
Welcome new guy. I'll cut you a break because you are new, but (a) try to stack more neatly. That is quite a mess you have there. Also (b) stop bragging about the 40 acres of 'oak.' There was apparently at least one cherry tree on that 40 acres.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome guys. I purchased that 40 acre wood lot in 1982. My father in law basically called me a dumb azz. "Why would you buy land that you can't raise corn or cattle on?" We only paid $20,000 for the woods which was a significant sum to a newly married couple trying to start a family. But it has provided wood, deer, turkeys, and morels ever since. Oh and the two live cherrys? I cut them off my neighbors fence row. He hates trees growing near his fences told me to have at em.
 
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I tell ya this wood gathering is addictive. It was 58F here in Wisconsin this morning so I got up early and cut a jag. A co worker gave me this old 4 foot by 6 foot trailer he didnt want anymore. So I turned it into an ATV wood hauler. Springs were not even close to bottoming out.

IMG_7800.jpg IMG_7802.jpg
So this makes 10 cords cut split stacked and I dont even have a wood stove yet!
 
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I think you're doing just fine, keep at it, you'll be OK :) Get ahead, and get it seasoned !!

Welcome to the forums !!!
 
ole said:
I tell ya this wood gathering is addictive. It was 58F here in Wisconsin this morning so I got up early and cut a jag. A co worker gave me this old 4 foot by 6 foot trailer he didnt want anymore. So I turned it into an ATV wood hauler. Springs were not even close to bottoming out.

View attachment 159334 View attachment 159335
So this makes 10 cords cut split stacked and I dont even have a wood stove yet!
Click to expand...
Welcome to the addiction :D
 
ole said:
New member and have a question for you vets. I am going to retire next February and my bride of 35 years has given me permission to put a wood furnace in the basement. We have a walk out basement so getting the stove and wood in should be no problem. In anticipation of getting this wood furnace, I have started making wood. We burned wood for 15 years in our first home so I know getting the wood made and dry ahead of time is good. I do own a 40 acre Oak woodlot here in Wisconsin about 1/4 mile from our home. So this is the pile I have CSS so far:

IMG_7717.jpg


IMG_7718.jpg


IMG_7719.jpg


80% dead red and white oak, 10% elm, and 10% green cherry that I stacked on the outside row.
The pile measures 18.5 feet long, 9.5 feet wide, and 4.5 feet deep.
How many cords do I have is my burning question. I am guessing 4 to 5? Am I close?

Thanks. This is a great forum and I have learned so much in my time here. I guess one could say I am lucky I have a good supply of wood nearby. I read these heart wrenching stories here of good folks just trying to keep their family warm by scrounging and burning green wood. It makes me sad. It is dangerous.
Click to expand...

I am drooling; for the building and the amount of wood I see here!
 
Welcome to the forum. That is a nice store of oak. Doesn't get much better than white oak.

Maybe it belongs on the Hearth Room forum, but I'd love to hear what you are planning to install. When you say furnace, are you buying a furnace that will attach to existing duct work?
 
I am leaning toward an Englander 28-3500 standing alone, not hooked to the furnace. My son is an HVAC guy and thinks if I have two runs it will heat the most lived in areas of our 1500 sq ft ranch but we will see! Just got a price for a class A chimney, $1100 installed.
 
Got a new saw the other day. Stihl MS261 with an 18" bar. I broke it in on two walnut trees in my yard. They were both on the downhill side and starting to hollow.

IMG_8289.jpg


All that is left

IMG_8293.jpg


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Before anyone chimes in on wrecking two sawlogs they were not sawlogs. There were on an old fence line and had wire and staples in them. No one would buy them so I made em firewood!
And it splits so nice and burns good also.

IMG_8290.jpg
 
Beautiful setup! No space between the firewood rows? How are the splits in the middle (especially closer to the floor) gonna dry?
 
Nice setup!

Why the top-handle saw? That's really only appropriate in tree-top work. It's a compromise with the safer full handle, for the sake of mobility in tree-tops.
 
Why the top handle saw? Because that's what I have used for 30 years. I work for a city out of a bucket truck. I like the manuverability and bar speed and light weight. Those are great little saws
 
Nice 261. I'd go a little bigger myself but you obviously know what you are doing judging by your pics so carry on!
 
Welcome Ole! I learned a lot from the forums as well. I've been reading threads here for over 2 years before I finally joined a few days ago.


ole said:
I tell ya this wood gathering is addictive.
Click to expand...

Tell me about it. I think I can speak for most members that we're all a bit OCD. It's a great, great hobby though. I love the time outdoors and the exercise. When you work your butt off and overtime build a nice huge stack of wood it's a true feeling of accomplishment.

Enjoy!
 
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